> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.podigee.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.podigee.com/documentation/grow-and-monetize/monetization/understand-demand-sources-and-competition.md).

# Understand demand sources and competition

Understand direct sales, Marketplace deals, house promotion, and external demand before you choose a demand policy.

This article explains how the Podigee Audio Video Ad Server chooses an ad when more than one commercial source can use the same eligible break. It helps you decide which sources should compete, which source should have priority, and what should happen when no source can provide a suitable ad.

## The four demand sources

Podigee keeps the source of a commercial opportunity separate from the media format and the delivery method. The same audio or video break can therefore use different demand sources at different times, as long as the active policies allow them.

| Source                           | What it means                                                                                                                                                                      | When to use it                                                                                          |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Direct-sold Campaign**         | An advertiser or agency has agreed terms directly with your operation. The Campaign, Flight, creative, targeting, and delivery goal are known before the request.                  | Use it for booked orders, sponsorships, and other commitments that must be protected.                   |
| **Podigee Marketplace deal**     | A buyer has qualified through the Podigee Ad Marketplace and has a committed deal for eligible inventory. Buyer credit, package scope, and deal terms are checked before delivery. | Use it when the buyer and inventory are part of a Marketplace transaction.                              |
| **House Campaign**               | Your own message, cross-promotion, or other approved non-paid content. It fills an eligible opportunity only when the policy allows it.                                            | Use it to promote your shows or protect a useful listener experience when paid demand is not available. |
| **External programmatic demand** | A connected DSP, exchange, or ad partner can respond to a request. The connection must be active, approved for the inventory, and within its policy boundary.                      | Use it to compete for unsold opportunities through an approved external connection.                     |

Direct-sold Campaigns and committed Marketplace deals are known commitments. External demand is an opportunity request, not a guaranteed sale. A response can be late, empty, below the price floor, outside the targeting rules, or rejected by a publisher protection rule.

![A published audio and video Inventory package for Harbor and Pine with its markets, sales window, and delivery methods.](https://2032417310-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbqUKO6lljHGzkEAzliPI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-0f587a291c88bbd7c378d1c91f17854d8da85339%2Fdoc-monetization-021-published-inventory.jpg?alt=media)

*A published Inventory package defines the audio and video supply that a demand source may use.*

## How the standards fit together

The demand source answers **who may compete**. The protocol answers **how Podigee exchanges the request and response**.

* **VAST**, or Video Ad Serving Template, is a response format for media files, tracking events, duration, and related ad details. It is useful when a provider returns a ready-to-play ad.
* **OpenRTB**, or Open Real-Time Bidding, is a request and response protocol for asking buyers for bids and returning the selected result. It is useful when several buyers can compete for one opportunity.
* **CATS**, or Common Ad Transport Standard, is a standard transport contract for podcast ad workflows. Use it only when the connected partner and the Podigee connection both declare and pass the applicable CATS profile.

VAST, OpenRTB, and CATS do not bypass publisher protections, buyer rules, targeting, price floors, or delivery checks. A connection is not a live demand source until its endpoint, capability, standards, authority, limits, and certification result are active.

## How competition is decided

The active demand policy supplies the rules for a request:

1. Podigee checks the publisher rules and the Inventory package.
2. Podigee removes sources that are not active, approved, or eligible for the media, placement, market, category, consent, and delivery destination.
3. Podigee applies the demand order. For example, direct-sold Campaigns can be first, external programmatic demand second, and a House Campaign third.
4. External responses must arrive within the configured response limit and meet the price floor and safety rules.
5. Podigee records the selected source, the rejected alternatives, and the reason for each result.
6. Podigee applies the configured fallback when no eligible source remains.

The order is a policy default, not a promise that the first source always wins. A direct-sold Campaign that is not eligible cannot deliver. An external bid below the floor cannot win. A House Campaign cannot override a publisher rule.

## Set the demand order and fallback

1. Go to **Monetization > Monetization settings**.
2. Open **Revenue and data rules**.
3. Open the current demand rules or select **Add demand rules**.
4. Put each allowed source in its intended position. Each source can appear only once.
5. Enter the minimum cost per thousand impressions (CPM) when the policy needs a price boundary.
6. Set the provider response limit. Keep it short enough to protect playback.
7. Choose the outcome when no eligible ad is available:
   * **Keep the original content** to leave the break empty.
   * **Use an approved house ad** to fill the break with an approved promotion.
   * **Return no fill** when the destination or business rule must receive no ad.
8. Add only the active demand connections that this policy permits.
9. Save the draft, review its impact, complete the configured review, and publish the exact version.

![Active demand routing rules with direct-sold demand first, an 18 EUR minimum CPM, an 800 millisecond response limit, and house fallback.](https://2032417310-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbqUKO6lljHGzkEAzliPI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-3300aa6f6beb817f111c20442043939d962b3178%2Fdoc-monetization-019-demand-rules-active.png?alt=media)

*The demand policy sets the order, price boundary, response limit, and safe outcome.*

Do not add a connection just because it supports VAST or OpenRTB. Confirm that it has the correct markets, media types, placement types, privacy use, and evidence requirements. Configuration and certification are described in **Monetization > Integrations**.

## Choose the right source for common situations

| Situation                                                          | Preferred source             | Reason                                                                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A signed order has a delivery goal and a date range.               | Direct-sold Campaign         | The commitment must be protected before opportunistic demand.                 |
| A qualified Marketplace buyer has committed to a package.          | Podigee Marketplace deal     | Podigee can check the buyer, credit, package, and deal together.              |
| Paid demand is not eligible, but you want to promote another show. | House Campaign               | The message is controlled by your operation and does not require a buyer bid. |
| Unsold eligible supply should be offered to approved buyers.       | External programmatic demand | The connection can compete within the policy, floor, and timeout.             |
| No source can deliver without breaking a rule.                     | Configured fallback          | The result protects playback and the publisher boundary.                      |

## Check a demand connection before you publish

Go to **Monetization > Marketplace** and review **Demand partners**. Check the connection name, protocols, regions, and state. A source marked **Live** or **Active** still needs to be included in the relevant policy and the Inventory package must allow the same media and markets.

When you create an external programmatic deal, select the external demand source and its active integration contract. Podigee binds the deal to that exact contract version. If the contract is missing, inactive, or not certified, Podigee stops the booking instead of silently routing it to a different provider.

## If competition does not produce an ad

Check these items in order:

1. The Inventory package is published and covers the requested audio or video, placement, market, and delivery destination.
2. The demand policy is published and includes the intended source.
3. The direct-sold Campaign or Marketplace deal is active and has an eligible Flight and creative.
4. The external connection is active, certified, inside its region and time limits, and responding before the timeout.
5. The response meets the price floor, category, buyer, consent, and brand-safety rules.
6. The configured fallback is the expected result.

Open the decision evidence for the request when you need the reason. It shows the selected source, the alternatives that were considered, and stable reasons such as **Not eligible**, **Below floor**, **Timed out**, or **No fill**. Share a redacted trace with a partner only after removing listener identity, credentials, and private buyer data.

## Expected result

Every eligible opportunity has one explainable outcome. A committed source is protected by its commercial terms, external demand competes only inside its approved boundary, and an empty result uses the configured fallback without changing the original episode or Inventory package.

## Next step

Use [Complete your first Marketplace deal](/documentation/grow-and-monetize/monetization/complete-your-first-marketplace-deal.md) when you want to make a published package available to a qualified Marketplace buyer. Use [Configure publisher and demand policies](/documentation/grow-and-monetize/monetization/configure-publisher-and-demand-policies.md) when you need to change the order, price floor, response limit, or fallback.


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